Former Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart believes that Pep Guardiola gets his players motivated to win games through press conferences. Guardiola is known for being flippant about his players' performances while speaking to the media and Joe Hart believes it is a ploy the Spaniard uses to galvanize Manchester City to win matches.
Joe Hart joined Manchester City from Shrewsbury in 2006 and made a name for himself at the Etihad Stadium. However, he fell out of favor at the club when Guardiola took over the managerial reins. The Spaniard believed he was surplus to requirements and replaced him with Willy Caballero.
Despite this, Hart was appreciative of how Guardiola keeps his players charged up, telling the Mirror:
“He’s an incredible coach, but one of his skills is to use the press. And why wouldn’t he? He’s not doing these press conferences to make us happy. He’s doing it to keep his team winning and focused. They are messages and the boys will hear them. There will be moments where they glance in the mirror. You can’t not be self-aware to be at that level."
"You’ll always have those human feelings when you’ve had a bad day and not played to the level expected. You think, ‘Is he talking about me?’ It’s such a clever way to keep the players sharp."
Hart continued:
"If you’re really breaking down Pep Guardiola and getting him to answer honestly and ask him if he thinks he is capable of getting those boys up for this season, it would be ‘Absolutely, of course I am.' He will only have players around him that he believes are ready for that challenge. It’s what he keeps doing, it’s what he will keep doing.”
Joe Hart had an illustrious career during his Manchester City days. He won two Premier League titles and one FA Cup, among other honors. The Englishman also the Premier League Golden Glove three consecutive times from 2011 to 2013.
Pep Guardiola on what he will do if Manchester City are found guilty of 115 charges
With Manchester City’s hearing over their alleged 115 breaches of Premier League rules set to begin mid-September, Pep Guardiola says that he will not leave the club should they are found guilty.
City were charged on 115 counts for breaching the Premier League’s financial regulations in 2023 after being initially charged for the offense five years earlier.
Guardiola, whose contract will expire in 2025, insisted that he is more likely to remain City’s manager should they be axed from the Premier League. He said at a press conference last year (via SPORTbible):
"At the moment we are innocent until it is proved we are guilty. I know the people want it. I know, I feel it. I will wait. Wait and see it and after the sentence has been done we will come here and explain it."
"But absolutely I will not consider my future [if] it depends being here or being in League One. Absolutely. There is more chance to stay if we are in League One than if we were in the Champions League."
As per reports, the case will last for two months and a verdict should be decided in early 2025. Apart from Premier League alleged breaches, Manchester City were once banned from UEFA competition in 2020 but the decision was overturned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport the same year.